Buddhism

Introduction

Tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development

Seeking the truth to life
Founder: Siddhartha-Gautam Buddha-under a tree in Bodhgaya-while
searching for Nirvana
Nirvana or Enlightment can be achieved by meditation, morality and
wisdom.
The expansion of Buddhism throughout most of Asia was peaceful and
occurred in several ways

Schools of Buddhism

Which aid followers on the path of Enlightment.

Theravada Buddhism : most popular in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand,

Laos and Burma (Myanmar)

Mahayana Buddhism, which is strongest in Tibet, China, Taiwan, Japan,
Korea, and Mongolia.

Theravada Buddhism

Also known as southern Buddhism

Name means 'the doctrine of the elders' - the elders being the senior
Buddhist monks.

Knowledge
The fundamental teachings were collected into their final form around the 3rd
century BCE, after a Buddhist council at Patna in India.
The teachings were written down in Sri Lanka during the 1st century CE. They
were written in Pali (a language like Sanskrit) and are known as the Pali canon.
It's called the Tipitaka - the three baskets. The three sections are:

The Vinaya Pitaka (the code for monastic life)

These rules are followed by Buddhist monks and nuns, who recite the 227 rules
twice a month.

The Sutta Pitaka (teachings of the Buddha)

This contains the whole of Buddhist philosophy and ethics. It includes the
Dhammapada which contains the essence of Buddha's teaching.

The Abhidamma Pitaka (supplementary philosophy and religious

teaching)

The texts have remained unaltered since they were written down. Buddhist
monks in the Theravada tradition consider it important to learn sections of these
texts by heart.

Sri Lankan Architecture

Cave temples: unique feature in these caves was the use of a drip ledge
carved along the top edge of the rock ceiling which stopped rain water
running into the cave. With time doors, windows and walls of brick or
stone were added. The roof and walls were plastered white and finished
with decorative paintings
Dagobas or Stupas: probably the largest brick structures known to the premodern world. built to enshrine relics. admired today for its structural perfection and
stability. stupa was thereafter covered with a coating of lime plaster.

Thailand Architecture

A Thai templeconsists of two parts: The Phuttha-wat and the Sangha-wat.

Phutthawat: area which is dedicated to Buddha. It generally contains
several buildings:
Chedi also known as a stupa it is mostly seen in the form of a
bell-shaped tower, often accessible and covered with gold
leaf, containing a relic chamber.
Prang the Thai version of Khmer temple towers,
Ubosot or Bot the Ordination Hall and most sacred area of a
Wat. Eight Sema stones mark the consecrated area.
Wihan a shrine hall that contains the principal Buddha
images; it is the assembly hall where monks and believers
congregate
Mondop - specific square or cruciform based building or
shrine,sometimes with a spired roof within a Thai Buddhist
temple or temple complex, the Thai mondop is a free
-standing unit.
Ho trai the Temple Library or Scriptures Depository houses
the sacred Tipiaka scriptures.
Sala an open pavilion providing shade and a place to rest.
Sala kan prian a large, open hall where lay people can hear
sermons or receive religious education.
Ho rakang the bell tower is used for waking the monks and
to announce the morning and evening ceremonies.
Phra rabieng a peristyle is sometimes built around the
sacred inner area as a cloister.
Additional buildings can also be found inside the Phuttawat
area, depending on local needs, such as a crematorium or a
school.
Sanghawat: contains the living quarters of the monks. It also lies within
the wall surrounding the whole temple compound. The sanghawat area
can have the following buildings:
Kuti originally a small structure, built on stilts, designed to
house a monk, The sanghawat can also contain the 'Ho
rakang' (bell tower) and even the 'Sala Kan Prian' (sermon
hall).

Mahayana Buddhism

Not a single group

A collection of Buddhist traditions: Zen Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism,
and Tibetan Buddhism
Mahayana talks a great deal about the bodhisattva (the 'enlightenment
being') as being the ideal way for a Buddhist to live.

Zen Buddhism

Began in China, spread to Korea and Japan, and became very popular in
the West from the mid-20th century
Essence of Zen: attempting to understand the meaning of life directly,
without being misled by logical thought or language

History
Zen Buddhism was brought to China by the Indian monk Bodhidharma in
the 6th century CE.It was called Ch'an in China.
Zen's golden age began with the Sixth Patriarch, Hui-neng (638-713), and
ended with the persecution of Buddhism in China in the middle of the 9th
century CE. Most of those we think of today as the great Zen masters
came from this period. Zen Buddhism survived the persecution though it
was never the same again in China.
Zen spread to Korea in the 7th century CE and to Japan in the 12th
century CE. It was popularised in the West by the Japanese scholar
Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki (1870 - 1966); although it was found in the West
before that.

Tibetan Buddhism

a religion in exile, forced from its homeland when Tibet was conquered by
the Chinese
best known face of Tibetan Buddhism is the Dalai Lama

History
Buddhism became a major presence in Tibet towards the end of the
8th century CE. It was brought from India at the invitation of the
Tibetan king, Trisong Detsen, who invited two Buddhist masters to
Tibet and had important Buddhist texts translated into Tibetan.
First to come was Shantarakshita, abbot of Nalanda in India, who
built the first monastery in Tibet. He was followed by
Padmasambhava, who came to use his wisdom and power to

overcome "spiritual" forces that were stopping work on the new

monastery.

Tibetan Architecture

Tibetan monasteries and temples is the most Tibetan and times-relevant

among all the Tibetan ancient architecture arts
Most of them were built on the mountains with delicate design and color
and grand looking.
Tibetan Buddhist architecture gradually developed from just niches and
ritual halls to independent building complexes
Temple Architecture: were built originally for enshrining the statues of
Buddha and other deities for the followers to worship. The main hall is the
center of the building complex. all gates, corridor pillars, door head, etc.
are decorated with charming engraved pictures depicting the Buddhist
stories, such as stories about flying goddesses, about powerful deities,
about causes and results.
Monastery Architecture: a large building complex which is composed of
temples and halls, stupas and several colleges, and residence quarters of
monks. As for shapes, it can be divided into 3 types: temples, cave
temples and stupa temples built surrounding the main hall. The layout of
the buildings around the main hall is according to the layout of 4
continents and 8 subcontinents in the Buddhist world. Four groups of
constructions and 4 dagobas of different colors (green, black, red and
white) are located respectively at the east, west, south and north sides.
astery is enclosed by a fencing wall which represents the Mount Cakravda
(meaning Mount Iron Fencing) and the construction units of different
heights and sizes are arranged harmoniously
Pagoda Architecture: Around the lower and upper bodies, there are many
chambers enshrining Buddhas. Outside the pagoda in each storey, there is
a fence with stone wall and clay packing as well as an eave. The cross
section of the lower part of the pagoda is in square shape while that of the
upper part is in round shape. From the bottom to the top, the areas of the
cross section are gradually reduced.

Chinese Architecture

Temple Architecture: similar to Chinese palaces and dwelling houses, they

are comprised of a number of small yards. styles of Buddhist temples were
totally Sinicized and the pavilion-like pagoda
Pagoda: often erected in temples. Pagodas can be made of stone, wood,
colored glaze or metal. Pagodas have an odd number of layers. Sevenlayer and Nine-layer pagodas are commonly built. The shape of crosssection is rectangular, eight-sided or even circular. Initially, the pagoda
served as the central axis alongside which rows of halls and monks' rooms
spread out. Later, pagodas were built near the main palace hall.
Grotto: Grottoes are decorated with painted sculptures, carvings and
frescos. Craftsmen revealed real life pictures and their understanding of
society in these art works, which gave them great historical and cultural
value.